ABU DHABI // Visitors to websites that promote terrorism - many of which are accessible in the country - can now be charged with supporting terrorism, but a strong evidence of criminal intent is required for conviction, according to top state security judges.
Chief Justice Shehab al Hammadi, who presides over all state security cases at the Federal Supreme Court, said the Ministry of Justice had, in convicting six people of operating a terror organisation in the UAE in April, ruled that simply viewing such sites could be considered a crime.
He said that even if a website is not blocked, convictions can still be obtained if prosecutors can show a defendant had "criminal intentions" in visiting them. Examples, he added, included downloading extremist content from the websites or forwarding links on to friends.
"These websites are available for everyone and it is almost impossible to block them, just like it is difficult to monitor all satellite channels. But when a person visits them and spreads their news or content among his or her acquaintances, that is considered like a crime they witnessed or committed," Chief Justice al Hammadi said.
The National has found that dozens of such web pages are accessible in the UAE. Experts say their glorification of "holy war" can influence vulnerable young people.
Extremist content on such websites includes nasheeds (singing and chanting) calling for violence, often accompanied by footage of al Qa'eda operations against the US military. Links and downloadable videos are posted by members who mostly go by names such as "war lion", "mujahid" and "fearless warrior". Other members often post supporting comments and pictures of members of terrorist groups.
Dr Ahmed Alomosh, chairman of the sociology department at the University of Sharjah, said such religious songs and motivational materials are powerful "mobilisation" tools, but their effect is short-term and restricted to certain individuals because of the language and references they use.
"They carry references to a glorious past that tug at the heartstrings of impressionable adherents," he said.
The recent sentencing of five Emirati men and one Afghan for terrorism-related offences was the first case to put the website ruling to the test, as two defendants were charged with surfing "jihadi websites". They confessed to downloading material that included suicide operations in Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan as well as spreading news of "jihad", but told prosecutors they did not mean to propagate them.
The court found they also downloaded pornography, music and Western films, which it considered evidence that the men were not extremists.
The court also found the videos they downloaded were popular media "broadcast on satellite channels".
The two men were acquitted because of "the absence of criminal intention".
"Although [SA, 18] downloaded some of [these suicide operation videos] and [YM, 31] showed the jihadi websites to his friends in his house, there is no evidence in the court records that they did that with the intention of glorifying suicide operations - only because their friends requested that from them," Justice Falah al Hajeri of the Federal Supreme Court ruled.
Two other defendants, Rashid Dawood, 34, and Abdullah Hassan, 27, were found guilty of "promoting jihadi groups" as well as distributing military training videos. They were sentenced to one year in jail for their membership in the jihadist organisation they set up. All of the six convicted were sentenced to three years in prison for financially supporting a terrorist organisation. The verdicts cannot be appealed.
Dr Ali Ahmed al Mannaei, the attorney who represented the Emirati defendants in the trial, argued at the time his defendants should not be accused of a crime for visiting those websites because they were not blocked.
hhassan@thenational.ae
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The%20specs
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
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Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
What%20is%20cystic%20fibrosis%3F
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